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Groin Problems and Injuries

Topic Overview

You may have had a minor groin problem at one time or another. Most of the time our body movements do not cause problems. It's not surprising that symptoms may develop from everyday wear and tear, overuse, or an injury.

The groin areas are located on each side of the body in the folds where the belly joins the legs. The pubic area lies between the two groin areas.

Groin injuries most commonly occur during:

Sports or recreational activities, such as ice hockey, cross-country skiing, basketball, and soccer.

Work-related activities.

Work or projects around the home.

Car crashes.

Groin problems and injuries can cause pain and concern. Most minor problems or injuries will heal on their own. Home treatment is usually all that is needed to relieve symptoms and heal.

Groin injury

An acute injury may occur from a direct blow, a stabbing injury, a fall, or from the leg being turned in an abnormal position.

You can pull (strain) or tear a groin muscle during exercise, such as running, skating, kicking in soccer, or playing basketball. You can strain a groin muscle while lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects. You might pull a groin muscle when you fall. A sudden pulling or tearing of a groin muscle may cause sudden pain. A snapping sound may be heard with hip or leg movement. Swelling and bruising can happen quickly. Sometimes swelling and bruising do not show up for a few days after the injury.

Overuse injuries occur when too much stress is placed on an area. This often happens when you overdo an activity or repeat the same activity day after day. Overuse can lead to muscle strains or tears or may cause swelling. Overuse may cause:

Avulsion fractures. This occurs when force causes a tendon or ligament to tear away from a bone and break off a piece of bone. It most commonly affects teenage athletes who are involved in jumping, kicking, sprinting, or hurdling sports.

Other causes of groin problems

Groin pain not caused by an injury to the groin may be coming from other parts of the body. This is called radiating, or referred, pain. Pulled muscles, ligaments, or tendons in the leg may cause symptoms in the groin. It is important to look for other causes of groin pain when you have not had an injury.

An inguinal hernia is a bulge of soft tissue through a weak spot in the abdominal wall in the groin area. See a picture of an inguinal hernia. An inguinal hernia may need surgical treatment. A sports hernia may affect the same area of the groin in competitive athletes.

Infections may cause a lump, bumps, or swelling in the groin area. Glands (lymph nodes) in the groin may become enlarged and painful when there is an infection in the groin area. If the infection is minor, the swelling may last a few days and go away on its own.

Rashes

Groin symptoms in children

When a child develops groin pain, the pain may be caused by a problem with the upper part of the thigh bone (head of the femur) or the hip. Common causes of groin pain, knee pain (referred pain from the hip), or limping include:

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. This condition affects the blood supply and proper placement of the head of the femur in the hip socket.

Developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH). This condition is caused by abnormal development of the hip joint. The femur may fit loosely into the hip socket (subluxation) or be completely out of the hip socket.

Swelling (inflammation) of the lining of the joint space of the hip (toxic synovitis).

Certain health conditions and medicines weaken the immune system's ability to fight off infection and illness. Some examples in adults are:

Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS.

Long-term alcohol and drug problems.

Steroid medicines, which may be used to treat a variety of conditions.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer.

Other medicines used to treat autoimmune disease.

Medicines taken after organ transplant.

Not having a spleen.

Pain in adults and older children

Severe pain (8 to 10): The pain is so bad that you can't stand it for more than a few hours, can't sleep, and can't do anything else except focus on the pain.

Moderate pain (5 to 7): The pain is bad enough to disrupt your normal activities and your sleep, but you can tolerate it for hours or days. Moderate can also mean pain that comes and goes even if it's severe when it's there.

Mild pain (1 to 4): You notice the pain, but it is not bad enough to disrupt your sleep or activities.

Urinary symptoms may include:

Pain when you urinate.

Trouble urinating.

Not being able to urinate at all.

Blood in your urine.

Seek Care Now

Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care.

Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.

If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care in the next hour.

You do not need to call an ambulance unless:

You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.

You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down.

Seek Care Today

Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care.

Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care.

If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care today.

Home Treatment

Home treatment measures can help relieve pain, swelling, and bruising and promote healing after a groin injury. These home treatment measures also may be helpful for non-injury problems. But if you think you may have a more severe injury, use first aid measures while you arrange to be checked by your doctor.

Rest. Rest and protect an injured or sore groin area for 1 to 2 weeks. Stop, change, or take a break from any activity that may be causing your pain or soreness. Do not do intense activities while you still have pain. A pulled muscle (strain) in the groin can take several weeks to heal.

Ice. Cold will reduce pain and swelling. Apply an ice or cold pack immediately to reduce swelling. Apply the ice or cold pack for 10 to 20 minutes, 3 or more times a day. A bag of frozen peas or corn may work as a cold pack. Protect your skin from frostbite by placing a cloth between the ice and your skin. After 48 to 72 hours, if the swelling is gone, apply warmth to the area that hurts.

Support. While you are recovering from a groin injury, wear underwear that supports the injured area. Females can use workout underwear or shorts with a snug fit. For males, it's best to wear jockey shorts with a snug fit rather than boxer shorts.

It may take 4 to 6 weeks or longer for a minor groin injury to heal. Stretching and strengthening exercises will help you gradually return to your normal activities.

Stretching exercises begin with range-of-motion exercises. These are controlled stretches that prevent stiffness and tendon shortening. Gently bend, straighten, and rotate your leg and hip. If you have increasing pain, slow down or stop the exercises.

You may do strengthening exercises with light weights, such as ankle weights, after the pain has decreased and your flexibility has improved.

Non-weight-bearing activities, such as swimming or cycling, may be helpful depending on the seriousness of your injury. A sports medicine health professional or trainer can advise you about fitness activities.

Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen. When you switch between two medicines, there is a chance your child will get too much medicine.

Safety tips

Be sure to follow these safety tips when you use an over-the-counter medicine:

Carefully read and follow all directions on the medicine bottle and box.

Prevention

The following tips may help you prevent a groin injury or other problems in the groin area.

Prevent groin injury and strain

Steps to prevent a groin injury or strain may include the following:

Warm up by stretching the groin muscles before exercising. Stretching can increase your range of motion and reduce stiffness and pain. Stretching is also important during the cool-down phase of exercise when your muscles are warm.

Increase the intensity and length of exercise gradually. As your fitness level improves, you will be able to do more intense exercise without injury.

Drink extra water before and during exercise, especially in hot or humid weather. This can help prevent muscle cramps and stiffness.

Make sure you can always see where you are walking. To avoid falls:

Use a step stool when reaching for high objects. Do not stand on chairs or other objects.

Don't climb stairs with both hands full.

Get help carrying heavy or awkward objects. Do not strain to lift or carry objects.

Prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

You can take measures to reduce your risk of becoming infected with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). You can also reduce the risk of transmitting an STI to your sex partner. Know high-risk behaviours and the symptoms of STIs, and do not have sex with anyone who has these symptoms.

Condom use may reduce the risk of becoming infected with an STI. Condoms must be put on before beginning any sexual contact. Use condoms with a new partner.

Prevent jock itch or yeast infection

Try the following things to prevent jock itch (fungal infection of the skin in the groin) or yeast infection (cutaneous candidiasis):

Dry yourself well after bathing. Use a hair dryer to dry your groin area.

Wear cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes. Avoid tight pants.

Use a powder to absorb moisture.

If you have athlete's foot, put on your socks before your underwear. This can prevent fungi from spreading from your feet to your groin when you put on your underwear.

Change out of a wet bathing suit soon after swimming so that your skin can dry out.

Preparing For Your Appointment

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions.

Before your appointment

If you have a rash, do not have sexual contact or activity until you are seen by your doctor. This will reduce the risk of transmitting a possible infection to your sex partner. If you do have an STI, your sex partner or partners may need to be evaluated and treated also.

Questions to prepare for your doctor appointment

What are your main symptoms? How long have you had your symptoms?

Have you had this problem before? If so, do you know what caused the problem at that time? How was it treated?

What activities make your symptoms better or worse? What sports do you participate in?

How and when did an injury occur? How was it treated?

Have you had any injuries in the past to the same area? Do you have any continuing problems because of the previous injury?

Do you think that activities related to your job or hobbies caused your symptoms?

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